Concord University Alumni Magazine - Fall 2025

President Bethany Meighen and her sons Luke, Kyle, and Clay at her presidential announcement in April of 2025.

One of her first priorities was helping prospective students ac onmd pt heet ii tri of anm—i l i ewshuant dr ee rasl ltya nmda wk ehsaitt seextcseCpot inocnoarld. a b o v e t h e "bIef hyionud cyoomu e—h edroei , nygo euv' lel rgyet th ti hn eg bp iogsgsei bs tl ec ht oe ehrei lnpg ysoeuc tri eo anc h yb ou ut rwghoaat l’ ss , ”c lsehaer st aoi dm. e“ Yaol rue’ va ed yg oi st tt oh awt ot hr ki s f eonr tiitr, eo cf ac mo uprus se ,i s deeply committed to student success.” Sa nh de si te eexs ttehnadt ss uf aprpboeryt oansdognreaodfuCaot inocno. r d ’ s g r e a t e s t a s s e t s — “i sOtnhea ot fi tt’ hs emmo roes tt hpaonwae rdfeugl rtehei n. Ygos ua bl eoauvte Choenrceowr di t ehdl ui f cea t i o n ef oxrp we rhi ea nt ecvees r, ccroi mt i ceasl nt he ixnt k. Ii nt ’ gs as k‘ di l el sg, raenedpal usst,r’ —o nagn fdo ui nn d a t i o n today’s world, that value matters more than ever,” she said. ICno nt i cmoer ds odfeel ivveerr-si nachr ei gahs -i nq gu at lui ti tyi oend uc oc as tt iso, nt hwe iftahcot ut ht at ht e bp ue rrsdpeencot ifveex. cMees isgi vhee nd eabl st odseps eorkveeasbaot ut et nt thi eo ni m, f pr oomr t ahnecre o f Cbiolnlbcooarrdd’ss”stfororntghealiunmstnitiuntieotnw. ork, calling them the “walking “Alumni are the ones who know firsthand what a Concord ep de ur scoant iaol nl y caannddpor. oWf ees sl oi ov ne ai tl l yw —h e ns oy owue schaanr ec eyl oe ub rr astteo ryioeus r—

sy uo cuc ge rsas de su, ”a tseh. eWsea isdt .i l“lAwn ad nt th teo rbe el apt iaornt sohf i py oduorelsi fne’ t—e nndowt jhuesnt wT hhiesni st ha ilni fgest igmo ewreellla, tbi ount swhhi pe.n” yo u n e e d s u p p o r t . As she stepped into her new role, Meighen spent much of her first month listening closely — to alumni, staff, sdteuedpe anpt sp, raenc di a tt hi oenbfrooraBd oe gr gceosms ’ ms lueng iat cyy. Sohf el eaal sdoe resxhpi rpe. s“ sWe de cwaonr' tk idnog at no yg eotfhtehri, ”s sghoeo sdawi do, ri nk taelnosneel y. Wa we ' ar er eo tnhl ay tsst hr oen g e r followed in the footsteps of a leader who had more than 40 years of experience on The Campus Beautiful. “I know I have big shoes to fill—figuratively,” Meighen said wI ki tnho wa stmh ai lte t. o“ gI ’ ev teh reerc, ewi ve ecda ns obmu iel dg roena tt ha ed vi ni ccer eadl ri be al ed wy , oa rnkd that’s already been done.” Hc oenr t hi noupees? tToot hf orsi vt eer—a nseenr vv ii nr ognsmt uednetnwt shaenr ed Cc oo mn cmo rudn i t i e s for generations to come. “qIuwe satni ot nt hs ,eatneda mt o hwe or er kt oa se xhpaer cdt ams eI ct oa nl i sf ot er nC, ot on cl oe ar dr n,” , stho ea s k sc ao indt. i n“Autet ht oe gernodwo, fs et hr ve ed, aayn, dmbye gsouacl ci es stsof uhl e—l pf ot hr ias nuont ihveerr s i t y 150-plus years.”

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CONCORD UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE